


Appreciation Day

by TooBusyWriting



Series: Star Wars Drabbles [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Affectionate Clones, Brotherly Affection, Brotherly Bonding, Brotherly Love, Clone Bonding & Friendships (Star Wars), Family Bonding, Fluff, Gen, Team Bonding, light mando'a, wow I actually wrote something under 1.5k lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-17 10:01:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28723275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TooBusyWriting/pseuds/TooBusyWriting
Summary: “As you know, we just ended one of our harder campaigns so far. I’ve noticed tensions are still rather high. So, to help with that, we’re going to be doing some team-bonding. And!” Rex added before the groans could start, “Cody did this with Ghost after General Kenobi suggested it. He said it works well, so I wanted to give it a shot.”“Well, if it worked for Cody, can’t be too bad, right?” Fives said, only half-sarcastically.Yeah, that time they tried trust-falls with the shinies hadn’t gone as well as Cody said it would. Rex still wasn’t sure if his ori’vod had set him up to fail or not.--In which Torrent shows some appreciation for each other, as per Rex's new team bonding strategy.
Relationships: CC-2224 | Cody & CT-7567 | Rex, CT-27-5555 | ARC-5555 | Fives & CT-7567 | Rex, CT-5597 | Jesse & CT-6116 | Kix, CT-5597 | Jesse & CT-7567 | Rex, CT-7567 | Rex & Torrent Company
Series: Star Wars Drabbles [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2176848
Comments: 4
Kudos: 50





	Appreciation Day

**Author's Note:**

> Just hit 200 followers on my Tumblr account (@lifeofclonewars), so I've been writing some ficlets based on word and phrase prompts sent to me! @jaurxo from there said: send words?? how abt: I appreciate you!! Here's the result! Based on something my high school softball team used to do.

“Alright, men,” Captain Rex said to the Torrent barracks. “Gather ‘round.”

They did so, most of them in their blacks, circling up and sitting when Rex motioned to do so. Having just come off a campaign, the company had taken advantage of the time to destress, clean up, and relax. Rex sat down, Ringo to his left and Fives to his right.

“As you know, we just ended one of our harder campaigns so far. While we didn’t personally have casualties in our company, other companies have and I’ve noticed tensions are still rather high.” Various members nodded in agreement. “So, to help with that, we’re going to be doing some team-bonding. And!” he added before the groans could start, “Cody did this with Ghost after General Kenobi suggested it, based on something the Jedi do with younglings. He said it works well, so I wanted to give it a shot.”

“Well, if it worked for Cody, can’t be too bad, right?” Fives said, only half-sarcastically.

Yeah, that time they tried trust-falls with the shinies hadn’t gone as well as Cody said it would. Rex still wasn’t sure if his ori’vod had set him up to fail or not. 

Rex quirked an eyebrow at his ARC. “So, we’re going to pick a person, say, Kix. One by one, we’ll all say what we appreciate about Kix. Once everyone has said something, we’ll move on to the next person, all around the circle. We’ll use the same order for appreciation compliments so we don’t start talking over each other.”

A glance around the circle told him his brothers had varying looks of contemplation on their faces. That was a good sign, but then again, it _was_ Torrent. 

Pushing that thought aside, he continued. “We’ll start with Ringo, and go to his left. Oz, you’ll start the appreciation comments and we’ll also continue that from the left.”

“So you get to go last for both giving and receiving comments?” Jesse asked.

Rex looked him in the eye. “Big brother and Captain privileges.” Jesse only scrunched his nose in response.

As the exercise continued, Rex could see and feel the tension leaving his brothers. Some comments highlighted lighter moments, some darker, but as they said more, it was evident how they were connected as family. 

“Kix,” Jesse said to his batchmate when his turn arrived, “I appreciate the way you call us ‘buddy’ when treating our injuries, on and off the battlefield.”

Kix blinked. “I do that?”

“Shush, let me appreciate you,” he retorted, causing the group to burst into laughter once more. 

Other moments weren’t quite as lighthearted, but just as dear, especially once they got to Fives. Especially once Rex got to talk to Fives.

“Fives, I appreciate your stubbornness as much as I hate it,” he started, getting some laughs from the group and a chuckle from his kih’vod. “Your determination to stick to what you believe has helped me significantly, as a person and as an officer. You’ve grown _so much_ since Cody and I met you, Echo, and Hevy on Rishi and I couldn’t be prouder of the man you’ve become. I appreciate it when you’re with us, helping us as a company, and stepping up where I fall short, even after all this time commanding. I honestly think you’ve taught me more than I’ve tried to teach you.”

His eyes watered as he smiled at his brother. Fives shook his head, his own eyes watery, then reached out and pulled him into a keldabe. “That’s not true, give yourself some more credit.” Softer, “Vor entye, ori’vod.”

“Oh, so he gets a keldabe, but none of the rest of us do? I see how it is,” Jesse quipped, but he couldn’t completely hide how choked up he was either. Whether residual from when they had appreciated him, from his comments to Fives, or Rex’s comments to Fives didn’t matter.

Rex pulled away from Fives and reached across the circle, grabbing Jesse’s shins and tugging him closer. “Well, then c’mere, Jess.” 

Jesse gave a wet chuckle as he leaned in and pressed their foreheads together. “Thanks, Captain.” When he pulled away, he turned to the ARC. “Way to go, Fives, you made him cry.”

Fives looked up from where he was wiping his own eyes. “I didn’t do that, he did it to himself. Just wait, because now we all get to take a turn and appreciate him.”

Rex tried to stand. “No, no, I think this has been enough. I know you guys appreciate me. Let’s go, I emotionally exhausted you enough. I should go check up on the other companies, anyway.” 

Ringo and Fives each grabbed one of his shoulders and held him down. 

“No can do, sir,” Ringo stated. “Team bonding includes you and you know it. Now, let us make everyone cry more.”

The next campaign, after a night that ended with grateful tears, hugs, and many, _many_ keldabes — paired with the 212th as always — Torrent performed even better than normal. Another case of no casualties, with clankers taken out in record times, most of the Legion-wide damage coming from them. 

“What’d you do to them?” Cody asked, a hint of teasing in his voice, as they waited on the Generals for the debrief.

Rex simply shrugged. “Turns out, not all of your advice is horrible.”

Cody raised his eyebrows in his version of a faux-offended gasp. He nudged his shoulder. “I appreciate you, Rex’ika.”

He nudged him back. “Appreciate you, too, Cod’ika.”


End file.
